Private jet charter in Gibraltar
From the London fields Gibraltar is a flight of under three hours to a runway laid across the isthmus between the Rock and Spain, and nearly everything that decides the trip is settled before the wheels leave the ground. Our customers have access to 6,500 jets of all types and configurations available for rent. We will help you choose the best option based on your needs and objectives. Our catalog contains the models from the largest manufacturers: Gulfstream, Dassault, Embraer, Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Learjet, Cessna, Beechcraft, Pilatus, HondaJet, etc. We have established partnerships with the world's largest airlines and VIP terminals, which means we can offer you favourable flight conditions and a high level of service. Our experts will manage the organization of your flight - starting with paperwork, agreements, etc., and ending with a transfer and meeting at the airport. Our company provides a full range of business aviation and concierge services. On the Rock that service covers three things a client rarely thinks about in advance: the prior permission that the airport asks for, the two-stage border check inside the terminal, and the plan B at Malaga for the days when the wind over the Rock rules out a landing.
At your request, the aviation consultants of Private Jets UK will help you choose the jet with the suitable technical parameters (production year, flight hours, and home base). The cost of the private jet charter in Gibraltar depends on many factors, such as the model of the business jet, the number of passengers, departure and destination airports, type of flight, duration of parking, additional services, etc. Therefore, we calculate the price of each order individually taking into account your wishes. You can use an online calculator to get an instant charter quote. Please indicate your real contact details to get the final calculation.
You can calculate the cost of your flight in several ways:
- using an online calculator on the website (however, it shows only the approximate price);
- via Messenger (WhatsApp or Telegram);
- by landline or cell phone;
- via e-mail (jets@private-jets.co.uk).
Please note that the above-mentioned price is indicative only. It is calculated on this basis: a departure from Farnborough, an Embraer Phenom 300E nonstop to Gibraltar and two passengers aboard. If you want to get a personal quote, just fill out the online booking form below. Our aviation consultant will make the calculation within 20 minutes, and then contact you to specify the details of the flight.
How long does it take to fly to Gibraltar?
Gibraltar keeps Central European time, one hour ahead of Britain throughout the year, because the clocks on both sides change on the same weekends. The sectors below are gate to gate, with the taxi and the approach included, and they all end on the Rock unless stated:
nonstop, 966 nautical miles with the routing allowance, the shortest of the London departuresabout 2 h 40 min
nonstop, 978 nautical miles, almost the same from London Cityabout 2 h 55 min
nonstop, 1,006 nautical milesabout 3 h
nonstop, 1,083 nautical milesabout 2 h 55 min
nonstop, 1,232 nautical miles, the longest of the regular British departuresabout 3 h 15 min
nonstop, 926 nautical miles, five minutes less than the Rock, which is why Malaga works as the fallbackabout 2 h 35 min
the terminal stands about 200 metres from the Spanish border, and the centre of Gibraltar is under five minutes away by taxiunder 5 min
Out in the morning, lunch on the Rock
Take off from Farnborough at eight and the Phenom is on the ground in Gibraltar a little before noon local time. A same-day return is possible, but it leaves only an afternoon in town, so many clients who come for a meeting stay one night, and a party bound for the coast stays longer.
The planning sits in front of the flight. The airport asks for prior permission for every private arrival, the terminal runs a border check in two stages, and the wind decides more days than the clock does. We start all three on the day the request arrives.
Scheduled flight or charter: when the aircraft earns its price
– Gibraltar has a small scheduled timetable from Britain, with British Airways from Heathrow and easyJet from Birmingham, Bristol, Gatwick and Manchester, and the airport handles a little over 400,000 passengers a year. A traveller who fits that timetable rarely needs a private jet for the crossing alone;
– A private aircraft wins when the party is four or more, when the destination is Sotogrande or the coast rather than the Rock, when one trip takes in Gibraltar and another Andalusian airport, or when a dog is travelling. It also wins on the awkward day: if the Levanter closes the approach, the aircraft is already booked to go on to Malaga with the same passengers and the same crew.
The exact flight time depends on the model of the business jet, as well as the speed of the tail or head wind. Our consultant will make a detailed calculation of the flight time for the chosen business jet.
Prices for the private jet flights to Gibraltar
Typical private jet prices from Britain to Gibraltar, cheapest first. Every row is a nonstop flight to the Rock. The distance is long enough that the price follows the miles, so the departure airfield matters as much as the cabin, and the table stops at the cabins the runway takes without argument:
| Route | Aircraft | Price, one way |
|---|---|---|
| Farnborough - Gibraltar 966 nm / 1,789 km, nonstop |
Phenom 300E up to 7 passengers |
from £13,000 |
| Biggin Hill - Gibraltar 978 nm / 1,811 km, nonstop |
Citation CJ3+ up to 6 passengers |
from £13,150 |
| London City - Gibraltar 988 nm / 1,830 km, nonstop |
Citation CJ3+ up to 6 passengers |
from £13,250 |
| London Luton - Gibraltar 1,006 nm / 1,863 km, nonstop |
Citation CJ3+ up to 6 passengers |
from £13,450 |
| Southampton - Gibraltar 941 nm / 1,743 km, nonstop |
Citation XLS+ up to 8 passengers |
from £15,750 |
| Bristol - Gibraltar 958 nm / 1,774 km, nonstop |
Citation XLS+ up to 8 passengers |
from £16,000 |
| Birmingham - Gibraltar 1,030 nm / 1,908 km, nonstop |
Citation XLS+ up to 8 passengers |
from £17,000 |
| Leeds Bradford - Gibraltar 1,118 nm / 2,071 km, nonstop |
Citation XLS+ up to 8 passengers |
from £18,300 |
| Manchester - Gibraltar 1,083 nm / 2,006 km, nonstop |
Praetor 600 up to 8 passengers |
from £18,750 |
| Belfast City - Gibraltar 1,153 nm / 2,135 km, nonstop |
Praetor 600 up to 8 passengers |
from £19,800 |
| Newcastle - Gibraltar 1,190 nm / 2,204 km, nonstop |
Praetor 600 up to 8 passengers |
from £20,350 |
| Glasgow - Gibraltar 1,232 nm / 2,282 km, nonstop |
Challenger 350 up to 8 passengers |
from £24,700 |
| Edinburgh - Gibraltar 1,239 nm / 2,295 km, nonstop |
Challenger 350 up to 8 passengers |
from £24,850 |
Two things worth knowing about these figures
– The south of England is the cheap end. Farnborough on a Phenom 300E is £13,000, Biggin Hill and London City on a Citation CJ3+ are £13,150 and £13,250, and Luton is £13,450. A midsize Citation XLS+ costs £15,750 from Southampton and £16,000 from Bristol, and the Scottish departures on a Challenger 350 reach £24,700;
– The table ends at the Challenger 350 and the Praetor 600 for a reason. The published landing distance at Gibraltar is 1,528 metres, there is no instrument landing system, and the aircraft has to be able to stop on a wet runway with a crosswind. Larger cabins are possible case by case, and when the operator's performance figures say no, the same party lands at Malaga, where a Phenom 300E from Farnborough is £12,500 and an XLS+ is £15,500.
Private jet flights from Gibraltar to its neighbours
Gibraltar covers 6.8 square kilometres, so there is no such thing as a domestic flight. The useful sectors from the Rock run across the border to the Andalusian airports and then out to Portugal, Madrid, the islands and Morocco, and most of them are short enough that the minimum charge, and not the distance, sets the price.
| Route | Aircraft | Flight time | Price, one way |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gibraltar - Jerez de la Frontera 51 nm / 94 km |
Citation CJ3+ up to 6 passengers |
about 35 min | from £5,300 |
| Gibraltar - Malaga Costa del Sol 54 nm / 100 km |
Citation CJ3+ up to 6 passengers |
about 40 min | from £5,300 |
| Gibraltar - Seville 84 nm / 156 km |
Citation CJ3+ up to 6 passengers |
about 40 min | from £5,300 |
| Gibraltar - Faro 142 nm / 263 km |
Citation CJ3+ up to 6 passengers |
about 50 min | from £5,300 |
| Gibraltar - Granada 102 nm / 189 km |
Phenom 300E up to 7 passengers |
about 45 min | from £5,700 |
| Gibraltar - Almeria 156 nm / 289 km |
Phenom 300E up to 7 passengers |
about 50 min | from £5,700 |
| Gibraltar - Ibiza 374 nm / 693 km |
Phenom 300E up to 7 passengers |
about 1 h 20 min | from £6,150 |
| Gibraltar - Lisbon 249 nm / 461 km |
Citation XLS+ up to 8 passengers |
about 1 h 05 min | from £6,800 |
| Gibraltar - Madrid Barajas 284 nm / 526 km |
Citation XLS+ up to 8 passengers |
about 1 h 10 min | from £6,800 |
| Gibraltar - Marrakech Menara 316 nm / 585 km |
Praetor 600 up to 8 passengers |
about 1 h 10 min | from £7,500 |
| Gibraltar - Palma de Mallorca 452 nm / 837 km |
Citation XLS+ up to 8 passengers |
about 1 h 35 min | from £8,700 |
Two things worth knowing about these sectors
– Everything within about 280 nautical miles costs the same. Malaga, Jerez, Seville, Granada and Almeria all come to £5,300 on a Citation CJ3+ and £5,700 on a Phenom 300E, whether the flight takes 35 minutes or 55, because the minimum billing hours apply. A jet transfer to Malaga, only 96 km away in a straight line, is mostly a repositioning flight for a party that has changed its mind;
– The sectors that earn their fare are the long ones. Lisbon is £6,800 on an XLS+, Madrid £6,800, and Marrakech £7,500 on a Praetor 600, which suits a party of up to eight with luggage for a week. Ibiza and Palma are the summer sectors.
We can arrange the flights from any cities in the UK (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) and European countries. Due to a large database of available business jets, we can help you find an optimal jet and crew. If you have any questions about the departure or the flight itself, you can ask them using the form below:
Prices depending on the type of business jet
We can clearly show the high dependence of the cost of the flight, on the type of aircraft - we have collected approximate data, at the price of 1 flight hour, for various types of business jets:
The cost per hour indicated in the table is preliminary and does not constitute an offer or a commercial offer. Exact prices are available from the managers of the company.
Online Calculator
If you want to make an urgent calculation of the cost of a private plane flight, use our online calculator. Just fill in all the fields of the form with a note that you are interested in a specific model of the aircraft and get the final price. NB! - the figures are sent to you by email or messenger, please carefully fill in the contact details to get the calculation.
All our calculations are as transparent as possible for you. After receiving the request, we will prepare a beautiful offer - where the costs and the final price will be clearly described. The exact price is agreed in advance and is written in the contract, so you can be sure of the final cost.
Private jets are ready to take off
Our database contains over 6,500 business jets (about 3,500 in Europe and 3,000 in the rest of the world) of different configurations and production years. The list of models is constantly updated. Unfortunately, we can't post a full list of available jets on our website due to confidentiality issues. Please contact the managers of the company for more accurate information. We will help you choose a suitable model taking into account your wishes. These are the typical choices for Gibraltar:
Light jets
The class behind the price in the title. Four to six people reach the Rock nonstop from the south of England in under three hours, and the short landing distance of the Phenom and the Citation family is exactly what this runway asks for.
Midsize
A Citation XLS+ or a Latitude gives a standing cabin and a full-size hold for four sets of golf clubs, which is the usual reason for stepping up from a light jet on the way to Sotogrande. Both stay inside what the runway allows.
Super-midsize
The practical ceiling at Gibraltar. The Praetor 600 and the Challenger 350 serve the long departures from Scotland and Northern Ireland and parties of seven or eight. The airport's published procedure sends aircraft over 17 tonnes to the turning areas at the runway ends and forbids turning on the runway, so the stand and the taxi plan for the heavier cabins are agreed beforehand.
Large cabins
Possible only when the operator's landing figures for the day agree, and not something we promise at the quote stage. For ten or more passengers, or when the party wants a heavy jet, the cabin lands at Malaga and the road or a helicopter completes the trip.
Turboprops
The aircraft for the hops from the Rock to Seville, Jerez, Faro and Lisbon, where a jet saves little time. Not for the crossing from Britain, which is more than three hours in a turboprop.
For a booking to the Rock the best aircraft is seldom parked at Gibraltar itself. The nearest suitable one may be in Britain or at Malaga or Madrid, so the positioning leg can change the price more than the choice of model. We look at the whole map before a number is sent.
How to book a private jet?
You can book a private jet flight to Gibraltar in 6 easy steps:
- Flight request - indicating the route and your preferences for the model of business jet and other points.
- Coordination of flight details - our consultant will contact you to offer the possible flight options and answer all your questions.
- Commercial offer - we will send you a final offer on a specific model taking into account all your wishes.
- Signing of the contract.
- Payment for the flight and booking a business jet.
- Departure at the agreed time and date. Assistance during the whole flight.
In addition to renting the private jets and arranging the flights, we provide concierge services, premium transfer, security, exclusive catering, etc. We have learned to solve problems of any complexity, offering the service of the European level. Our experts will be happy to answer your questions and help you arrange your flight.
How to rent a business jet with a crew
5 main stages:
-
Sending an application
-
Clarification of details and search for options
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Preparation and coordination of optimal options
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Registration of documents. Payment of the invoice.
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Departure on the route.
Business aviation airports for Gibraltar
Gibraltar has one airport, and for most trips it is the right one. Two Spanish airports stand behind it: Malaga for the days and the cabins the Rock cannot take, and Jerez for the west. The facts below come from the airport's own pages and the UK and Spanish aeronautical publications, and the hours of the handler and of border control are confirmed in writing before every flight:
| Airport | Ground | How it operates |
|---|---|---|
| Gibraltar GIB / LXGB |
on the isthmus immediately north of the Rock, 12 ft (4 m) above sea level, about 200 metres from the Spanish border | The only runway on the territory and the right door for the Rock, Sotogrande and the western Costa del Sol. One asphalt strip, 09/27, published as 1,798 by 45 metres in the UK aeronautical publication, and a declared landing distance of 1,528 metres. There is no ILS, only PAPI and approach lighting on both ends, and the fire category is ICAO 8. The airport's own page lists Gibair Handling as the general aviation handler, with a general aviation wing inside the terminal building, its own entrance, its own security processing, several lounges, customs and immigration, and jet fuel. Prior permission and the aerodrome day are described below |
| Malaga AGP / LEMG |
about 8 km south-west of Malaga, about 96 km from the Rock in a straight line and 126 km to 130 km by road, around 1 h 30 min | The fallback for every Gibraltar booking and the gateway for a cabin the Rock cannot take. Two asphalt runways, 13/31 of 3,198 metres and 12/30 of 2,749, with a separate general aviation terminal beside the N-340 in the former main terminal. The Spanish AIP lists the aerodrome, customs, immigration, fuelling and handling as open round the clock, and requires an authorised slot before a general aviation flight plan is filed. Handlers listed include AviaVIP, Malaga Business Aviation FBO, JETEX, Sky Valet Spain, Universal Aviation Spain and United Aviation Services; handling is compulsory for every general aviation flight |
| Jerez XRY / LEJR |
about 9 km north-east of Jerez de la Frontera, 124 km by road from Gibraltar, about 1 h 30 min | The western alternate, for the Cadiz coast and for a party that wants to avoid the Costa del Sol. One asphalt runway, 02/20, of 2,300 by 45 metres, operated by Aena. The Spanish AIP lists instrument hours of 05:45 to 22:00, in UTC, so a little later on the local clock, with customs, handling and fuel available during those hours and one hour's notice and permission required outside them. Handling is mandatory even for non-commercial flights, a slot request goes in at least three hours ahead, and visiting aircraft use stands 27, 28 and 29. Handlers listed include South Europe Ground Services, Universal Aviation Spain, Aviapartner Executive and United Aviation Services |
Four rules settle most Gibraltar arrivals before a quote goes out:
The permission: prior permission, not a slot
The UK publication for the airfield asks every aircraft for at least four hours of prior permission, with civil requests going to the handler, and the airport is closed to all aircraft on 25 December. Four hours is the floor. We send the request with the booking and name the handler, the crew and the passengers, because the border check needs the same list.
The handler: always Gibair
The airport lists Gibair Handling as the only handler for general aviation, and it coordinates the stand, the fuel, the general aviation wing and the arrival and departure logistics. There is no choice of FBO to shop around, which keeps the quote simple and the fee in one place.
The clock: 08:00 to late evening, and nothing in the small hours
The aerodrome day starts at eight. The UK publication ends it at 23:45 and lists out-of-hours operations only on request, while the handler's summary shows weekday hours to 22:45 and no extensions. We plan on the earlier time.
The size: the runway is the limit
The published landing distance of 1,528 metres, the absence of an instrument landing system and a strip on a narrow isthmus mean that light, midsize and super-midsize jets are routine and heavier cabins are a calculation. Aircraft over 17 tonnes use the turning areas at the runway ends, and no aircraft turns on the runway.
The Levanter and the choice of alternate
When the easterly wind called the Levanter blows, the airfield sits in the turbulent lee of the Rock, and the approach can bring strong crosswinds, windshear and a cloud banner over the summit. It is the most common reason for a landing not to be attempted, and the flight then goes to Malaga. We therefore name Malaga as the alternate on every booking, brief the crew, and arrange the handler and the car on the Spanish side before the flight, so that a diversion costs the passengers a drive and not a day.
Arriving from Britain: passports, customs and what to carry
Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory, but it is not part of the United Kingdom for border purposes, and a flight from Britain is an international arrival. Under the agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union, the airport also carries out the entry checks of the Schengen area, so a passenger is processed for Gibraltar and for Schengen in the same building and then may continue by land into Spain without a further routine check at the frontier.
British citizens need a passport issued less than ten years before arrival and valid for at least three months after the planned departure from Gibraltar or the Schengen area; the same applies to every passenger, children includedcheck the dates before you book
up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa, and time in Gibraltar counts toward the same limit as time in the Schengen area; a longer stay means registering with the Department of Immigration and Home Affairs90 in 180
expect Gibraltar immigration and then the Schengen check by Spanish officers; where the EU's Entry/Exit System applies to a British passport, photographs and fingerprints are taken as part of itallow time in the terminal
the EU's online ETIAS authorisation is stated to apply to British travellers once it is operational; we check the position for your date before the offer goes outwe check for your date
certain goods must be declared to customs officers on arrival at the airport, and the allowances for goods in personal luggage are limited; ask before the trip if you plan to carry commercial items or high-value purchasesdeclare when in doubt
a child who is not your own travels with a signed consent letter from the parentscarry the letter
How a private arrival works, and the way home
The airport describes the general aviation wing as having its own entrance and its own security processing, with customs and immigration among its facilities. The published notices on the two-stage check speak of airline passengers, and none that we found sets out the order of the officers for a private arrival. We confirm with Gibair, in writing, where the aircraft is met, which officers attend and how long they expect the clearance to take, and we pass the passenger and crew details early.
Coming home is a flight into Britain. A General Aviation Report goes to the border authorities not earlier than 48 hours and not later than two hours before departure, and British and Irish citizens need no electronic travel authorisation for Britain, while most other nationalities do. A passenger who is not British should ask us about the visa and the authorisation for both ends of the journey, and anything bought on the Rock is subject to the usual British allowances on return.
Which airport for which part of the coast
The Rock sits at the western end of the Costa del Sol, and the choice of airport depends on which way along the coast the party is heading. Road times below are from public transfer data and vary with traffic and with the queue at the border in busy weeks; the distances in a straight line are our own calculation from airport coordinates:
the terminal is about 200 metres from the border, and the business district is about a ten-minute drive awayGibraltar
25 minutes by road from Gibraltar Airport, against 70 minutes from Malaga and 80 minutes from Jerez, and about 25 km from the RockGibraltar
about 36 km from the Rock in a straight line, so the nearest runway is the one on the isthmusGibraltar, or Malaga for a heavier cabin
about an hour by road from Gibraltar (77.5 km, 1 h 05 min in one transfer guide) and less than an hour from Malaga, so the aircraft and the wind choose the airport, not the distanceGibraltar or Malaga
Malaga airport is 96 km from the Rock in a straight line, 126 km to 130 km by road, about an hour and a halfMalaga
Jerez airport is about 124 km from Gibraltar by road, 1 h 30 min, and Cadiz lies 94 km from the Rock in a straight lineJerez
The Rock, the border and the coast: what our clients go for
Gibraltar covers 6.8 square kilometres and held about 33,000 residents at the last census. English is the official language, most people also speak Spanish, and many use Llanito, a local mixture of the two. The economy rests on financial services, online gambling, maritime services such as ship repair and fuel supply, and tourism, with a fixed corporate tax rate of ten percent and goods that are free of VAT. That mix explains most of the private flights to the airport: executives for a board meeting or a company matter, advisers on a day trip, and families heading for the coast.
The Upper Rock Nature Reserve covers more than 40 percent of the territory, and the Rock rises to 426 metres. A cable car runs to the top, and the Skywalk, a viewing platform at 340 metres, gives views across three countries and two continents. St Michael's Cave is a natural cavern with stalactites that serves as an auditorium, and the Great Siege Tunnels were cut into the rock by hand and with gunpowder during the siege of the late 18th century. About 230 Barbary macaques live on the Upper Rock, the only free-roaming monkeys in Europe. The Moorish Castle has a Tower of Homage from the 14th century, and Europa Point, at the southern tip, has a lighthouse and the nearby Gorham's Cave Complex, a UNESCO site considered the last known home of the Neanderthals.
Main Street is the shopping axis, free of VAT, and it ends at Casemates Square, a square of cafes. Catalan Bay, a former Genoese fishing village, and Sandy Bay are the small beaches on the eastern side, dolphin-watching boat tours of about an hour and a half run in the bay, and the Alameda Gardens, laid out in the early 19th century and linked to Kew, cover six hectares. A day of this fits into a single stay, which is why many private visitors treat the Rock as a morning or an afternoon and spend the night on the Spanish side.
The coast beyond the border is the other half of the trip. Sotogrande, about 25 km north-east of the Rock, is a private residential estate in the municipality of San Roque with five golf courses, among them Valderrama, a marina and a population made up of permanent residents and second-home owners. Valderrama hosted the first Ryder Cup played in continental Europe and has staged the Volvo Masters and the Andalucia Masters. Estepona, Marbella and Puerto Banus lie further along the same road.
The Gibraltar year: heat, the Levanter and the quiet months
Gibraltar has no snow season and no single peak. The private-flight year follows the weather over the Strait, with business visits through the twelve months:
winter brings periodic storms with rain; the International Chess Festival fills the Caleta Hotel from late January, and business visits continuemeetings and chess
the Levanter has one of its smaller peaks, and a three-day easterly can interrupt a schedule, so Malaga stays the named alternatespring wind
the hottest weeks, with a mean daily high of about 28 degrees in July and August and occasional summer thunderstorms; the Levanter is most frequent and most persistent in these months, with episodes of three to five days, so the Malaga alternate is named in advanceheat and the wind
the second small peak of the Levanter, National Day on 10 September and the literary festival in Novemberautumn events
The Gibraltar calendar: chess, food and National Day
The dated events are few and mostly local, and each one fills hotel rooms and hire cars for a weekend more than it fills the apron:
What a Gibraltar peak does to a flight plan
The civil apron has five marked stands, according to the UK publication, so a National Day weekend or a chess weekend with several arrivals can use them all. The aircraft that drops its passengers and leaves is therefore the usual pattern, and a plan to keep a jet on the Rock for several nights has to be agreed with Gibair ahead of the dates.
Flying to Gibraltar with a dog or a cat
A dog or cat travels in the cabin with you, and the paperwork has three parts: the rules of Gibraltar on the way in, the rules of Spain if the trip crosses the border, and one appointment with a vet for the way home. Gibraltar sets its own entry conditions through its Environmental Agency.
The one fact to read before you book
The animal must carry a microchip and a rabies vaccination given after the chip, at least 21 days before it enters Gibraltar, even if its vaccinations are otherwise up to date. A pet coming from the United Kingdom travels with a health certificate listing its current vaccinations in place of a pet passport. The agency's own page does not cover the entry point, the fees or the number of animals, so we put those questions to it before the date is fixed.
Coming home is where the diary matters. Gibraltar is a listed territory for pets entering Great Britain, but it is not one of the places whose direct flights are exempt from the tapeworm rule, so a dog needs a treatment from a vet no less than 24 and no more than 120 hours before it arrives in Great Britain, with the product, date and time entered in the document, and a cat does not. We confirm the document for the journey in writing, and because the window is short we book a vet on the Rock or near the hotel alongside the flight.
- A microchip, fitted before the rabies vaccination, not after;
- A rabies vaccination at least 21 days old on the day of arrival in Gibraltar and kept in date;
- For the way in, a health certificate from the United Kingdom listing the vaccinations;
- If the trip goes on into Spain, the European certificate and the limit of five animals per traveller;
- For a dog on the homeward leg, the tapeworm treatment 24 to 120 hours before landing in Great Britain.
Cats need the same list without the worming. The Gibraltar government's guidance on the land border says that pets are generally exempt from official controls there, though the Spanish authorities may still ask to see them. We confirm with Gibair, in writing, which desk checks the certificate at the airport and where the animal waits during the border check.
Requirements for birds, rabbits and the less usual species, along with the countries where the timeline runs to months, are set out on our flying with pets guide.
Empty Legs
An empty leg is a repositioning flight with nobody aboard, offered at a fraction of the usual price. A sector of nearly three hours is long enough for the saving to be worth chasing, and the Rock produces empty legs of its own, because aircraft come out with a party, stay a short time and fly home without passengers.
Where Gibraltar empty legs come from
– Short stays: a jet brings executives for a meeting and leaves within hours, because the small apron is not a place to park for days;
– The golf and holiday trade: aircraft that fly a party to the Costa del Sol return to Britain a few days later, and the reverse leg is available to a passenger who can leave when the aircraft does;
– Diversions and repositioning: when the Levanter sends an arrival to Malaga, the crew may bring the aircraft back to the Rock or on to Britain empty.
A client who can offer a few days has a far better chance of a match, though the operator owns the date and a leg can disappear when the original booking changes. Whatever is free is listed on our empty legs page. A selection of Gibraltar empty legs follows:
| Route | Aircraft | Capacity | Whole aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gibraltar - UK (London Farnborough) nonstop |
Phenom 300E | 8 seats | £5,450 |
| UK (London City) - Gibraltar nonstop |
Citation CJ3+ | 7 seats | £5,550 |
| Gibraltar - UK (London Luton) nonstop |
Citation CJ3+ | 7 seats | £5,650 |
| UK (Bristol) - Gibraltar nonstop |
Citation XLS+ | 9 seats | £6,700 |
| Gibraltar - UK (Birmingham) nonstop |
Citation XLS+ | 9 seats | £7,150 |
| UK (Manchester) - Gibraltar nonstop |
Praetor 600 | 9 seats | £7,900 |
| Gibraltar - UK (Belfast) nonstop |
Praetor 600 | 9 seats | £8,300 |
| UK (Glasgow) - Gibraltar nonstop |
Challenger 350 | 9 seats | £10,350 |
How to read those figures
– Each price is for the whole aircraft rather than per seat. A Praetor 600 from Manchester with eight aboard comes to about £1,000 a head;
– Gibraltar legs are rarer than Malaga legs, because the runway admits fewer aircraft, so a client with a flexible plan should ask about both airports and take the one that comes up.
Helicopter charter
Around the Rock a helicopter saves the road and the border queue, not the crossing from Britain. A helicopter operator licensed in Gibraltar runs sightseeing flights from the airport, over the Rock and along the coast towards Marbella, and for a private transfer these are our estimates, calculated at about 115 knots with a few minutes for the start and the landing:
the golf estate, against 25 minutes by roadabout 15 min
the western end of the Costa del Solabout 20 min
against an hour by road and a queue at the frontier in a busy weekabout 25 min
the link to a larger cabin or a connecting flightabout 35 min
These are estimates and move with the weather and the load. We confirm the aircraft, the route, the number of passengers and the baggage allowance for your date before the offer goes out.
Two points on rotary legs around the Strait
A helicopter that lands away from an airfield needs a site that the operator and the owner of the land have agreed, and a flight from the Rock into Spain adds the permissions of the Spanish side to those of Gibraltar. The same easterly that spoils a jet approach also affects a helicopter near the Rock, so a clear weather window has to be kept for the same hours as the aircraft, with the road transfer as the fallback.
Flights from the UK to Gibraltar
Farnborough, Biggin Hill, London City and Luton send most of the traffic on this corridor, with Southampton and Bristol close behind because they sit nearer to the Rock, and Birmingham, Manchester, Scotland and Northern Ireland at the long end; the price table higher up covers thirteen of those pairings. Our clients have access to all airports of the UK and Europe. Due to the unique partnership conditions, we can offer our clients the best prices for business aviation services. Our experts will consult you on the availability of private jets in a particular city and help you choose the best option.
List of TOP 25 business aviation airports:
| Airport | Country | ICAO | IATA |
|---|---|---|---|
 London Heathrow Airport |
England | EGLL | LHR |
| Birmingham Airport |
England | EGBB | BHX |
| London Gatwick |
England | EGKK | LGW |
| London City Airport |
England | EGLC | LCY |
| London Luton |
England | EGGW | LTN |
| Edinburgh Airport |
Scotland | EGPH | EDI |
| Leeds Airport |
England | EGNM | LBA |
| Manchester Airport |
England | EGCC | MAN |
| London Stansted |
England | EGSS | STN |
| Liverpool John Lennon Airport |
England | EGGP | LPL |
| Newcastle Airport |
England | EGNT | NCL |
| Bristol Airport |
England | EGGD | BRS |
| Glasgow Airport |
Scotland | EGPF | GLA |
| East Midlands Airport |
England | EGNX | EMA |
| Southampton Airport |
England | EGHI | SOU |
| Jersey Airport |
Channel Islands | EGJJ | JER |
| Cardiff International Airport |
Wales | EGFF | CWL |
| Inverness Airport |
Scotland | EGPE | INV |
| Bournemouth Airport |
England | EGHH | BOH |
| London Farnborough Airport |
England | EGLF | FAB |
| Oxford Airport |
England | EGTK | OXF |
| London Biggin Hill |
England | EGKB | BQH |
| Belfast Airport |
Northern Ireland | EGAA | BFS |
| Gibraltar Airport |
Gibraltar | LXGB | GIB |
| Aberdeen Airport |
Scotland | EGPD | ABZ |
Gibraltar charters from the booking notes: six typical trips
Six typical jobs put together from booking notes with the particulars changed, so none describes one named client or date.
GIBRALTAR · THE BOARD DAY
Two directors and an afternoon meeting
Farnborough - Gibraltar, Phenom 300E, about 2 h 40 min · 2 pax
Wheels up at eight, on the ground in time for lunch on the Rock, and a car from the general aviation wing to the office, five minutes away. The permission and the passenger list went to Gibair with the booking, the meeting ran into the evening, and the party stayed the night.
SOTOGRANDE · THE GOLF WEEK
Four players and four sets of clubs in May
London Luton - Gibraltar, Citation XLS+, about 2 h 55 min · 4 pax
Gibraltar was chosen over Malaga because the hotel was 25 minutes from the terminal and not more than an hour on the road. The midsize cabin took the clubs, and the handler booked the car and the first tee time.
MALAGA · WHEN THE WIND SAID NO
A family of five on a Levanter day
Southampton - Gibraltar, Citation XLS+, about 2 h 45 min · 5 pax
The approach was not attempted, and the aircraft went on to Malaga as planned on the booking. A car was waiting on the Spanish side, and the party reached the villa a little over an hour later than expected, with nobody rebooked and no night lost.
MARBELLA · A FULL CABIN
Eight passengers and a week of luggage
Manchester - Malaga, Praetor 600, about 2 h 50 min · 8 pax
Eight people with suitcases and golf bags put the cabin at its limit, and the operator would not commit to the Rock on the day's performance figures. Malaga took the aircraft and the party drove to Marbella in under an hour.
WITH THE DOG · TAPEWORM FIRST
A couple and a spaniel on a long weekend
Farnborough - Gibraltar, Phenom 300E, about 2 h 40 min · 2 pax + dog
The vaccination was more than 21 days old, the health certificate listed it, and a vet on the Rock gave the tapeworm treatment on the Saturday afternoon, inside the window for the Monday flight home.
EMPTY LEG · HOME FROM THE ROCK
A flexible return to London
Gibraltar - Biggin Hill, Citation CJ3+ empty leg, about 2 h 55 min · 3 pax
The client gave us a window of two days instead of a date, which is what makes these work, and paid about £5,500, a little under half of a fresh one-way charter on the same sector, for a Wednesday departure.
Frequently asked questions about flying to Gibraltar
1How much does a private jet to Gibraltar cost?
From about £13,000 one way from Farnborough on a Phenom 300E, £13,150 from Biggin Hill and £13,450 from Luton on a Citation CJ3+. A midsize Citation XLS+ is about £15,750 from Southampton, and a Challenger 350 from Glasgow about £24,700. Malaga, the usual fallback, is a little cheaper: about £12,500 from Farnborough on a Phenom 300E.
2How long does it take to fly to Gibraltar by private jet?
About 2 hours 40 minutes from Farnborough in a Phenom 300E, about 2 hours 55 minutes from Biggin Hill in a Citation CJ3+ and about 3 hours 15 minutes from Glasgow in a Challenger 350. Gibraltar is one hour ahead of Britain all year, so a morning departure lands before lunch local time.
3What size of jet can land at Gibraltar?
Light, midsize and super-midsize jets are routine, up to the Praetor 600 and Challenger 350 class. The runway is about 1,800 metres, the published landing distance is 1,528 metres and there is no instrument landing system, so heavier cabins are judged case by case on the day's performance figures, and Malaga takes the rest. The road that used to cross the runway has been replaced for vehicles by a tunnel under its eastern end, and only a pedestrian and cycle crossing remains.
4What are the passport and border rules for a private flight from Britain to Gibraltar?
British citizens need a passport issued within ten years and valid for three months after departure, and may stay up to 90 days in any 180. At the airport a passenger goes through Gibraltar immigration and then the Schengen check carried out by Spanish officers, with the Entry/Exit System where it applies, and certain goods must be declared to customs. The aircraft needs prior permission of at least four hours through Gibair Handling, and we confirm in writing how the general aviation wing handles the two checks.
5Can I take my dog or cat on a private jet to Gibraltar?
Yes. The animal needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination given after the chip and at least 21 days old on arrival, and from the United Kingdom a health certificate listing its vaccinations. A dog coming home needs a tapeworm treatment 24 to 120 hours before it lands in Great Britain, so we book a vet for the day before the flight. We confirm in writing which desk checks the animal at the airport.
6Should I land at Gibraltar or Malaga for Marbella and Sotogrande?
Gibraltar for Sotogrande, which is 25 minutes from the terminal, and for Estepona and the Rock itself. For Marbella the two airports are about an hour away by road, so the aircraft decides: Gibraltar for a light or midsize cabin on a calm day, Malaga for a larger cabin, a heavy load or an easterly wind. We always name Malaga as the alternate for the Rock.